My son is a widower with a 2 1/2 year old little boy. My niece has kept all of her sons clothes to hand down to my grandson - and even put the word out amongst all her friends - and they have been an incredible help.
I like to throw different spices in my coffee grounds before brewing the coffee...cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc. That way I can change up my coffee without buying more expensive seasonal coffees. (If you put the spices in the grounds before brewing instead of in your cup after brewing, the spices don't float on the top of your coffee.)
When my daughter was 3, a mom with 4 girls gave me 8 garbage bags of clothes/shoes she had planned to donate. As a single mom, I was/am eternally grateful to her because I didn’t have to buy any clothing for my child for 4 years. The quality of clothing was better than I would have purchased with my limited income.
Yes! I've always told my kids.... if you can't afford the tip, and i mean a generous one, then you can't afford to go and you tell your friends sorry, dude! 😂
I live in a state that doesn’t have a different minimum wage for tipped employees I don’t tip anymore. They make the same amount as me or more. I also work in customer service. I think companies should pay their employees a fair wage. It’s no longer my responsibility to supplement their income
@@sdoncam5491I live in the uk and we do tip - but it’s not expected - although some restaurants do include service charge - do the employees actually get that money🤔? I think it’s unfair like you said to be expected to fork out a massive tip, when you take home the same wage. Also I will only tip if I get good service! That said, if I can afford it I try and be kind but 30% is absolutely bonkers! Did you know it’s considered rude to tip in Japan 😊.
I forgot to mention that I put the clothes on hangers and towels on drying racks. I do this all year long as I have severe allergies. I use a fan in the summmer also.
My parents had a cape cod style home with an unfinished upstairs, did have plywood flooring. She would hang laundry upstairs. We used to laugh at the frozen jeans that looked like they could runaway on their own. Somehow a 5ft long black snake made its way into the attic, my mom found it. You probably could have heard her screams from miles away. Dad tried to catch and release, he was disappointed he when he couldn’t.
I have 5 clotheslines outside, we had 70° weather in Ohio on Monday. I hung out six loads of clothes. Most of them dried I just had a few that weren’t dry. I have a clothes rack that can hold two loads of clothes for the winter.I put it in my sewing room and turn my paddle fan on low. I have barely use my dryer only for small items. I also have a closet that I can use the plastic hangers and hang shirts and tank tops. We have Propane so it’s expensive to use. I love to hang my clothes outside my grandmother, mother and myself all used the clothes line.
When we vacation, we stay at our favorite, but low cost hotel on the river we love to fish. Free breakfast, and we cook a few feet from the river on our camp stove for dinner. We take walks into town to the fudge shop for a treat to last us on our trip. We unplug from real life, and have the best time ever! On the way home, we always hit up the local grocery stores and buy great deals, if they have any. 40 years together, we still enjoy being together, so these little trips are perfect for us ❤️😀👍
I sewed a dress for my daughter, when she outgrew it, I passed it along to some friends who had 3 little girls. Several years later I noticed a little girl from another family wearing it- the dress had gone through at least 5 little girls!
I LOVE this story. We had a sweater that made the rounds through all the cousins in the family. We all had a lot of boys who were spaced just far enough apart in age to pass the sweater down. I think it went through at least 6 boys. We speculated it must be made of iron. LOL!
My grandmother knitted a grey v neck jumper for my dad to wear for school back in the early 1950s. Our family was still using it 30 years later. It was passed down to his younger brother. My brother then had it. My grandma had photos of all three of them wearing the jumper. It was looked after and still looked like new, so my mum passed it on to my three cousins.
@@UndertheMedianTell Larry that the best season to dry clothes outside is in the winter. I live in Scandinavia. You wouldn't believe how nice it smells when it has been dried out in frost. But don't dry clothes outside when it is pollen season and you have seasonal allergies ❤🇩🇰
I love this having four daughters. We adopted our first kids and then I gave their clothes away thinking I wouldn’t have any more. When our bio son was a surprise, my friend gave my son’s clothes back to me for this baby. I had such an emotional attachment to the clothes they wore the first year as they were adopted as older toddlers and life was hard. But I took great pride in dressing them cute and had fond memories of them in matching outfits (they also had a $40 a month per kid clothing stipend we had to use, so they were quality clothes).
I used to attend a church in which many people with children would pass along the clothing their children grew out of to families with younger children. It was nice to see those people bless others and then also being blessed.
A frugal tip for coffee creamer I use sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and milk mix it up in a mason jar and you have your own coffee creamer.
@@Meli_Mels for my family we drink a lot of coffee me and my husband it lasts for about 2 weeks and we just shake up the ingredients really well before putting it into our coffee. Coffee Creamer we live in VT and used to buy a huge bottle of it. It’s currently $8.19 in our home we use whole milk our youngest son turned 1 a month ago and that is the milk we use to make our coffee Creamer.
@@Meli_Mels oh and we use 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk we use the great value brand we also reuse an old jug of 32 ounces coffee creamer probably 3tsp of vanilla extract and then just fill the rest with milk and leave a bit if room to mix it
Here is a tip a dear friend of mine always does: she saves EVERY five dollar bill she receives and puts it aside. This is her vacation fund, and she said it adds up quickly. Really enjoyed this video. Question: how can a couple get cuter together as time goes on?! You two are fabulous in my book!
I used to do this with every $1 with an E or an L in the serial number. These are the first initial of family names and it added up quickly. Even people at work would swap me theirs. One person needed quarters and I’d swap quarters for her singles. The only reason I don’t do it now is because I don’t come in contact with as much paper money. It’s ok, that’s what Ibotta and other rebate apps are for😀
The idea of putting a vacation on your charge card WITHOUT having the cash already saved to completely pay it off when you get home.. that would make my physically ill.
My husband changes our cars front brakes for super cheap instead of having the car dealership do it. They just wanted $900 to do it but my husband only spent $400 buying the parts and changing them himself!!!! $500 saved!!!! Whoo hoo! He also offers to change them for other family members to save them money. He is getting older but says he will do it until he can’t any more. God bless him!!!
My best tip is if you always go over budget for groceries,even with inflation, maybe really look at what you buy. Do you buy random crap? Do you inventory?have a list that you stick to? If it's a problem,and you budget,say,$100 per week,that is it.only carry $100 on you. No debit cards,credit cards,gift cards,only $100. Or shop online and do curbside pickup or have it delivered. No temptation
I like to comparison shop. In store and online great value lentils 1lb are $1.34. Hurst lentils are $1 online through Walmart. Seems small but adds up to $17.68 a year. My grocery store accepts $10 off $50 purchases from competitors. If I spend $100, I split the purchase into 2 orders to save 20% on everything. Combined with online store coupons, sales, manufacturers coupons and the loyalty purchase card I can sometimes save 50-60% off the sale price.
We don't consider "junk food" (alcohol, soda pop, chips, candy, energy drinks, ice cream) in our grocery budget. That's extra and we have to spend personal funds on this stuff if we want it. (We are a household of 7 between the ages of 17 and 56.)
Whenever, we do a clear out/declutter, we always ask family around to take what they want usually for a week, no strings attached, before donating. My whole family did this.
Thank you for your show. I am vegan and when I watch or comment on other channels they can get mean. They say that being a vegan is unhealthy or they are condescending. I appreciate you
My wife and I are vegetarians (we use some dairy products), and we have had people question our dietary choice. While we are careful to respond in a kind way, we know that most people are not very well educated in that area. We enjoy good health and have no problems in terms of our lab work values. I've seen studies that reveal that vegans tend to have the least medical problems of all. I am close to being a vegan now, and I believe it is the best way to eat.
I practice being vegetarian, and my doctor told me that my diet is causing me to be defiecent in Vitamin D. I knew Vegetarians had to take a B12 supplement because B12 is only in meat. I am surprised about the lack of Vitamin D in a Vegetarian diet. I say practice cause I'm not there yet. I love seafood.
I have a system I menu plan three months at a time. I make a corresponding shopping list, are corresponding gardening list, and a corresponding self-sufficiency list. The shopping list contains all of the ingredients that are needed for all of the recipes, the gardening list is anything that is an ingredient that I can be putting into my garden bed, I try and grow as much as I can. The self-sufficiency shopping list is anything that is an ingredient that I can make so any type of sauces, breads jams, dehydrating any onions garlic to make all my own powders, make my own stocks. Between a growing things preserving things and making things from scratch,I eliminate most of the things on my shopping list for my ingredients bringing my total down. For the month of febuary I spent a total of $95
Lucky you! I love Kicking Horse coffee…especially Cliff Hanger Espresso and Grizzly Claw! Our loft bedrooms become too hot when woodstove is on all winter. We built a drying rack on a small pulley in the top of the stairwell and dry our laundry. The heat gets trapped in the wet laundry and the loft is cool. 🇨🇦
Loaning clothes or other things, especially to children - hahahaha. Don't do it. Give it to them, or keep it. My story, we were poor (no joke). When I was 4.5 years old, a neighbor "loaned" my mother a pair of cotton orange shorts for me. I loved them, I wore them everyday for the entire summer, 90 days. Then, the neighbor wanted them back. My mother was made to feel bad that I had worm them out. Wellllll, of course, I wore them out, they were the only thing I wanted to wear (and probably the only thing I had to wear - that's how it was back then). I remember this story, because I had to give the shorts back to the neighbor. I missed them. To me those shorts were not worn out, they were worn to "perfection."
I have always taken my own lunch to work, my own snacks and etc.. I like my home made food. I love pickles, olives, cheese, etc.. I've made my own mini lunchables, for years. Packed my own crackers, home made pepper jellies etc...I pack it all in seperate reusable containers. People see what I'm eating and are usually jealous of my home made goodies.
My mom used to buy a cheap deep frozen turkey at Christmas, cheap frozen ham at Easter and cheap whole roaster. She would thaw and cook the night before our 1 week beach vacation. We had cold ham, turkey and chicken sandwiches for lunches and hot turkey, ham and chicken for dinners. That way she didn’t have to cook. She also bought sale paper plates, plastic utensils and napkins to use. She said, “this way it’s my vacation too.” One night we got the best beach pizza for dinner, usually Wednesday to break up the week to avoid turkey, chicken, ham burnout, lol.
I have been going out for lunches with my friends I only drink water and no dessert. My meal is usually $8-$10 I too leave a generous tip. I also eat 1/2 meal and doggy bag the rest sometimes 1 or 2 more meals for me!
Put the fun in frugal. Get the kids involved in dinner making. Set one night a week aside as Kids Create Dinner night. Challenge them with a money limit ( for example $3.00 per person) for the meal. Help them with guidance in ideas and guidance in cooking. Keep your expectations age appropriate. For extra encouragement let the child(ren) keep all, or a portion of any money they go under budget. Kids get a chance to learn frugal skills, cooking skills and to feel that they are an important part of the family.
This is great. I also like the ideas prepped princess uses. She turns off her water heater throughout the day and turns on 30 minutes before use. Saves on electricity
@rithikamadhusha1708 nope, apparently most folks in the UK keep them on all day or have them on for a while in the morning or evening ( often because they are linked to the heating system)! I didn't but I am regarded as unusual!
Your restaurant “discount stacking” story is super inspiring! And I 100% applaud Daniel for looking at a school he can commute to. I reluctantly followed that path out of high school, but am SO GLAD I DID! Now, I’ve been out of student loan debt for years, while I remember my fellow graduates who lived on campus automatically had up to $60k more in student loans, just for the privilege of living on campus!
Live as a minimalist. It really stops the spending. Have only what you need/use. When you declutter try selling it first before giving it away. Living as a minimalist is freeing.
I’m all for the rechargeable batteries. Back in the day I bought all sizes from Radio Shack (on clearance). I literally used those batteries for years while my kids were growing up. My husband is a Army Corps of Engineers employee, plus a former military soldier. We would plan our vacations near military bases, because we can use my husband’s work ID to stay on military bases in their hotels. They usually have kitchenettes in them, so we took food to fix in our room. We are also able to buy tickets to major theme parks etc…from the military travel office. We bought tickets to Lego Land in San Diego California. The boys had free tickets from their Lego Magazine. We decided to go on Thanksgiving that year. They gave each of us free tickets for the next day. Since we had already bought enough tickets my husband was able to sell the extra 4 tickets to his boss at work. We took our own water bottles that had a pouch that you wore like a cross body purse. You were allowed to leave the park and come back in, so one day we did lunch in the car. Another day we did it inside the park. We saved the durable plastic cups with lids, and my kids and their friends used those themed cups for years. We still have a few with the lids in the cabinet and my kids are now grown. We usually chose destinations that weren’t on everyone’s radar. We always had a lot of fun and didn’t have to fight the crowds. Going to Lego land on Thanksgiving back then was a wise choice, because we didn’t have to fight a crowd at all. And the highway and roads were eerily empty. It was great. Our hotel overlooked the water at the naval base. So it was fun to look out the window and see the ships in the dock. We drove twelve hours to get there. Our car was a cheap 4 cylinder. The trip was a blast and very inexpensive. We are a do it yourself kind of people. It’s fun to be frugal and learn new things. I love your channel, and I love a good smooth cup of coffee. It’s like sitting down with friends. God bless you for what you do.
My sister in law (civilian pentagon) and her husband (military) used to take beach vacations on military bases. Her favorite was where they could watch special forces training, both did but for different reasons. He was a Colonel (Pentagon) and she was a Deputy to the Sectary of Defense. Vacations abroad were rare as they tracked her movements (for recall and safety/security). Bases provided security and they were available for communication if needed. Perks to the job and restrictions.
@@Freaysclaw56 thankfully my husband isn’t tracked, so we can go anywhere. The perks are great. We can even shop at the PX and commissary. My husband can use the gym on base, etc. You can’t beat free. We do live near a military base.
I save a lot of money at the gas station. In our area, it costs 10¢ more per gallon if you use a debit or credit card so I always use cash (or gift card). Second, I get a rebate of 5-10¢ a gallon by using the stations app. Third, I put my monthly gas budget on the stations gift card. By using the gift card, I automatically save 10¢ a gallon. By implementing all 3, I save 25-30¢ per gallon!
We have a catholic recreation center in the town over from me. They have a gym, fitness room, plus other activities. They also have a walking track which is free. So I can go walk before work. Also when i was raising my kids there was a lady at church who when making dishes with ground meat would take out a tablespoon or two and put in a container when she had enough set aside she would make another meal with it. Her family never missed the less meat.
As a former server, THANK YOU for adding the tip comment! I tried to offer good service at all times. I didn't mind or care if people used gift cards. What did hurt was not being appropriately tipped on the total bill and service. There were those that didn't tip at all, used keep the change comment or just tipped on what they paid out of pocket when using a gift card. It sucked. Also for gym discounts if your health insurance company has a wellness rider select gyms have free membership. You will have to provide your insurance card. Also, if a gym is not on the list you can ask for them to be added. Talk to your HR department. I work in HR and we have a wellness liaison with the insurance company. She says if there isn't a gym on the list let me know and we can work on it. There was only one gym that flat out refuses to take part in the program and she told us...I won't say here lol. Have a great week and get well!
I live alone n I save electricity by a couple of different ways. 1- wash clothes once a month. 2-unplugging appliances when not in use, I even unplug my washer n dryer. 3-set thermostat up a degree or 2 in the summer with the use of ur ceiling fans. 79-80 feels no different than 77-78 when u are circulating the air around you. 4-Know ur electric companies peak n off peak times it will save u money.
We love Red Lobster and downloaded the app for their rewards program. We quickly reached 300 points which put us into the top tier category to get the extra discounts etc. They also do the bonus gift cards you're talking about-- buy a $100 gift card and get a $20 bonus card. We save both for ourselves plus only go on Tuesdays so each meal counts as 3x points which gets us MORE free appetizers, $5 drink credits, free desserts. We combine that with the all-you-can-eat shrimp specials, and we can have a really nice date night for less than $60 (including tip!!) Also, we never order alcohol at restaurants and usually just get water so we're not paying for drinks either (unless we have a drink credit for a mock-tail).
My dad had a workshop. All of his tools were bought used or on deep sale for birthday, Father’s Day or Christmas. Later when he had every tool imaginable, he switched to TVs, Bose radio/CD player, etc. Our family gave combined holiday and groups gifts for large gifts.
My parents tend to wash thwir clothes after coming back from work. It means it don't have time to dry before tbe night fall. (I will argue it haves time 9 months on 12). So they always use our loudly dryer. But I'm trying to push them using the programming function to match the end of the cycle to when they wake up. So my today tip: Use your timing function on your washing machine. Match it with your waking hour. Don't have to wait for hanging them, it's alreafy waiting for you. Retrive those after coming back from work. Bonus points: you don't have to ear the washing machine or use your day off to wash.
My husband and I finally felt "financially" able to put in a gas stove. The thermostat went out in our electric stove. It was going to cost 150.00 for the part. I just couldn't pay that. So we just used our air fryer for baking. So fast-forward a few months, taxes done, we were surprised about the amount. 😅... So we started talking about gas stoves. I allowed 1500 dollars to make the switch. Local company gave me an estimate of 1000.00 to install gas line, tank, fill tank, add conversion kit to stove and install stove. The best part is by using the discount outlet of Lowes Hardware we bought a KitchenAid 5 burner gas stove for 400.31 cents. Original cost was 1500.00.
YES on giving things. I say the same thing , if you give it to me you give it to me. My mother in law always wanted to give us things BUT she expected us to keep it (whatever she gave us) So I ended up telling her that if she wanted it then keep it , but don't give us something you no longer want and expect us to keep it. And when I give something I telling the person it is yours do whatever you want with it!!
I do the same with bins. Also buy kids clothes at end of season sales for the next year. Long pants can be cut off at the knee to create summer shorts for play. Many long sleeve tshirt type shirts can also be cut to shorter sleeves for summer. For girls clothes a lace ruffle can be added to the bottom hem of dresses or pants to help them last longer as kids grow. Of course, find a neighbor that has a bunch of kids younger than yours to pass clothes on to.
I prefer movie theater in the morning, too. Fewer crowds, I'm not tempted by smell of popcorn and often I can bring my mug of coffee or tea and nobody cares.
I use gift cards for occasional restaurants meals too. We also tend to go out for lunch instead of dinner. Usually lower prices. I totally agree about tipping well. Never cheap out on the tip!
The way we save for vacations and Christmas each year is to have a certain amount of money automatically removed from our checking account every Friday and sent to a separate account. For the first half of the year, that is the sinking fund for our vacation in June. For the second half of the year, it is the sinking fund for Christmas. It’s so nice every year having money available to vacation and get through the holidays debt-free! Some years it might be less available than others, and we will do a more frugal vacation like a campground or a day at an amusement park in driving distance, or have a smaller Christmas budget (but at least there is always a budget for both). Some years allow for more to be invested and we can travel further. This year we have already been able to book an Air BnB in the mountains and will be going to Tennessee. Last year we visited Canada. Budgeting this way has been a real game-changer in allowing us to be able to travel more with our large family and avoid debt while doing it.
Just love your tips and so enjoying watching you two. We just redid our master bathroom ourselves- flooring, shower, vanities, toilet, subflooring underneath it, paint, mirror- the whole thing- for 6,000. What spurred us on was the quote we got for the SHOWER ALONE- 20,000!!!! Although my husband had no skills in this area when we met, he has learned on his own to do things himself. With UA-cam, you can find almost any DIY project you are dealing with. This worked out so well that we did our kids bathroom about 6 months later. Whenever possible- do it yourself! You’d be surprised how many projects are actually very easy or moderately easy to do!!!!😊
We are actually enjoying watching the usages on our app for our electric coop on my phone as we use our oil radiator heaters in the evening as we watch tv rather than running the furnace and heating rooms were not in. Having the attic insulation beefed up to 38R has really helped too. 8:30
Just got our electric bill from January-February 18 for $120.00 39% lower than same period last year. All thanks to having an energy audit and following thru with the repair suggestions ie adding insulation up to R.38 value(14”),have holes sealed up in ductwork etc 11:23
I love all your tips !! I am a homebody ….. I really hate shopping & even more now. I only buy what I can eat in 2 weeks. I eat very little as the older I get. Prices scary me so much these days since single person. Don’t eat out can’t afford it .
Dave Ramsey idea is to do a Staycation. I suggested this to my husband as we are working on one credit card debt. When there are no kids at home on a particular weekend, make the dining room more elegant and enjoy a romantic dinner at home and the next day go on a local adventure. We usually go hiking on our mini vacation and there are plenty of beautiful hikes near by. Thank you for your great videos.
Whenever the service department says I need windshield wipers, I usually buy them and replace them myself. I also intend to do my own car wash. With a car payment and higher insurance, finding ways to save a few dollars is critical.
Hydro in Canada means electricity. We had a lot of electric dams that made electricity back in the day. The company that sold the electricity was Ontario Hydro, then Hydro One. That’s why many Canadians say hydro, when they really mean electricity. Nice coffee! They are not too far from where I live.
Yep, and in Québec (also in Canada, east of Ontario) it's Hydro-Québec. It's also full of dams. Even those rare cities who have their own dams use hydro in their name.
Use a portion of your grocery budget ( for me its 20%) to purchase indulgences. It makes the beans and oats not so noticable. For this week I indulged on coconut yoghurt, soy vanilla ice cream and humungus raspberries. They make our fruit salad and pancakes super fancy. Still in budget and everyone is happy. No need to eat out.
I kept a tight budget, but once a week had something special that was on sale. A dessert, shrimp, snack that was on sale and I could use a coupon. It made all the difference.
We are In the elementary/ middle school years with 4 kids 21 meals a week .. it was overwhelming and so I decided to make some systems…. Now plan to cook full meals 4 times a week . The rest of the meals are leftovers / pantry meals or super simple cooking like macaroni and leftover meat. With that I budget 1-2 meals a week as at home takeout - Chicken nuggets and fries - or frozen Indian or chinese food. These easy buttons make it less a chore to feed everyone. And I am not tempted to order in
@@mandyholly6947 we did something like that with Chili Week, a family favorite. Monday, chili with corn bread and fixings. Wednesday, chili with macaroni and cheese. Friday, chili dogs and French fries. Another poster mentioned chili over potatoes or rice. So definitely other options. My husband and 6yr loved hot food so hot, spicy chili for them. My meal plan worked like that, also. Another favorite was biscuits rolled out in circles and add pizza toppings, they loved the hands on aspect. They rolled the biscuit as thin or deep slice as they wanted. Usually on Fridays. When on sale with a coupon the pizza was very cheap.
I also live in Texas. During the summer, my husband, myself, and the dog get up early and walk in our neighborhood before the sun comes up. In our household, we have hammy downs (older to younger) and hammy ups (younger to older). As for snacks, we never leave home without a reusable water bottle and a snack, which usually contains cut-up fruits and veggies. Another tip for travel is to check the prices of extended stay hotels. We have found some with cheaper prices and they come with a full kitchen. We haven't really needed the oven, but did use the stove top. The full size refrigerator is wonderful especially since I am vegan.
The hand me ups reminds me of a friend whose daughter would take her baby sister’s clothes for her baby dolls and her 18” American girl size doll. Great use for those baby clothes after the baby is done with them. Hammy ups.
By. Using your tips my gas bill is only $50.00 a month. It used to be $150.00 a month. Good savings for someone who lives in Kansas. Thanks for sharing. Love 💕 and Hugs. 💙💙💙
Hi Larry and Hope .....I'm in Illinois, I share AMEREN and I followed your energy tips. This is April of 2024 and my monthly bill came down 30.00 dollars. I was at 280.00 and it's down to 250.00. Amazing!
Hope, Larry,hit dollar general. They have Dunkin coffee, bagged,for $7 per bag. New flavors are Cinnamon Turtle love Caramel Candied almond And the regular flavors, Midnight Columbian Hazelnut Vanilla We have turtle love and it is good
If they ever do, or if anybody needs it, if you shop Dollar general on a Saturday and have their app on your phone, you can use the $5 off coupon if you spend $25!
I cannot hang my laundry on the line outside. I'm a bad asthmatic and can't tolerate clothes dried outside. I also cannot tolerate powder cleanser. My mom cleaned the kitchen sink one time when I wad at school, but the minute I can into the kitchen my asthma started. I backed up and went into the bedroom, she had to open the backdoor and turn the cooler on.
I wanted to comment on the tip from the viewer talking about getting rid of your dryer. It can be mostly done. (I dry dress clothes and an occasional last minute load in the dryer.) We are blessed to have portable racks set up in our spare bedroom to hang clothes on. The big one will hold a set of queen size sheets & then 2 of the normal type for smaller items. Our house is on a big hill in town and there’s no place to put a clothes line. I can take the racks down if I want to take them outside on the deck or if we have guests staying in that room.
We have an Amish family that put in a pulley type clothesline, one on a pole (maybe tree)up the hill, and the other side comes down to the porch, she hangs a lot of clothes on it daily.
I work for a college. Employee gets a discount for on campus gym. We're restricted to off peak hours since its primarily for students, but the price is worth it. Bonus for me is that i can exercise during the workday.
I buy a few gallons of water a year. Then, I take the empty gallon bottles and fill them at the filtered water station at work. If the bottles get dirty, or they get a hole, I throw them away. However, they usually last about a year.
I started eating very low carbs 3 yrs ago. I don’t buy manufactured processed foods. I eat meat, low carbs veggies, minimal dairy, no eggs (allergic). I buy meats in large or family pkg and divide it up at home, vacuum pack n freeze. Buy meats on sale and look for discounted items because “sale by date” is in 1-2 days. Since I buy no junk foods, soda, bakery, etc my grocery bill is about the same as when I ate the standard American diet. And I’ve lost 100 lbs!! I found boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 days ago for 1.98/lb because of date. Chopped it all up n cooked it, vacuum sealed. Can’t beat that!!
The first tip about the movie theater made me wonder, if you have a Costco membership, they often have packs of gift cards for entertainment and restraunt venues, like $100 in gift cards for $80. They may have specific movie theaters like cinimark that can save even more. My theater was advertising a membership that was all you can watch and the price was less than 2 full price tickets per person- so if you are someone who watches all the new movies or wants to be, that also might be a good way to save per view.
My theater offers 1/2 price gift cards every Black Friday with free 6 free popcorns 🍿 for January-March. Our local swim park offers yearly memberships 1/2 price on Black Friday. Makes it doable. Neither deal is advertised, lol.
Kent State in Ohio and in some places abroad, has courses online and scholarships by the trustees for those coming in with good grades. Their tuition prices are much better too.
We have free tea/coffee/cocoa, hand fruit and small snacks, like granola bars as well. On the days I'm actually in the office, I just pick up my breakfast there, for free.
At the start of the monthly I put a set amount in a different bank account for vacations. I do this every month even if we don’t have a vacation planned. This is then our budget for vacations. And worst case scenario I can transfer the money back and use if needed.
I have learned so much from watching your videos, better budgeting skills as well as about sinking funds, and emergency funds, so much to help me save for both expected and unexpected expenses. 😊
Be sure on car repairs call different repair shops and get a 30 day quote, (some will e-mail to you) I did this and within 30 minutes away from each other there was a 800.00 difference both were quality dealerships,pays to look around
Great video!! So glad both of you are doing better! We started tracking our expenses in Jan 2024. Both months we have had several hundred dollars left that has went into our vacation fund. Been using out of pantry, fridge and freezer more and really saved on groceries. Have funds saved for brakes and rotors as well. Trying to keep adding to savings instead of reducing them.😂
We dont use a tumble clothes dryer. Heated drying racks are super popular in the UK. We have always used two dehumidifiers in our homes. They keep us toasty warm and the hung up laundry dries very quickly.
Cooking when the hydro is the lowest rate = when the ELECTRICITY is at the lowest rate. In Canada (and likely elsewhere) our electricity is generated with running water, ie hydro-electricity dams. A good example is Niagara Falls provides a lot of hydro-electricity. So when we say "hydro" we don't mean water, we mean "electricity"
We don't spend $5 bills or less. For example if we "need" a pack of gum it will cost $10 and then the bills and change go into the savings jar or we rethink how important that gum is.😅
I have a couple of towel racks and one collapsible clothes drying rack so I almost never use the drier. I use hangers for shirts and hang them off of the racks. I even do sheets and towels on these racks I just have to pace the laundry to fit the racks. I hang socks over the edge of a laundry basket and I use one of those wooden pants hangers with the bar that hooks in place to hang my undies. To make things dry a little faster I always run the last minute of the spin cycle on the washer a second time to get a little more water out of the washer before I take out my clothes. It works great! The only things I hang outside are my throw rugs which I toss over the rail of my back porch.
In the UK you get freebies for your birthday if you sign up to various places. Love birthdays! Also our cinemas allow you to bring your own food & drink into the cinema :)
We have done some gifting with the priviso that if it doesn't work, feel free to give it back. This can work to better enable "divesting" yourself of "stuff" that is questionable. We have also gifted stuff with the privso that we get first dibs if the recipient decides to get rid of the item later on. Then we dont stress it if it doesnt come to be; but we do take note before the next gifting. One item gifted like this was a small rototiller that came and went from our garage more than once; that rototiller became more like a lending library item until it finially gave up the ghost. Often clothing, furniture, and home decor items have been easier and quicker to pass on if we agreed to take back what didnt work; usually within a week to a month. Either which way, we realize it wasnt new when gifted and further use isnt going to make it more pristine.
My sister in law's mother always hung out her clothes on the clothes line for about 30 or 1hour to dry and then threw the clothes in the dryer for about 10 minutes in the dryer to fluff and take out the stiffness.
My son is a widower with a 2 1/2 year old little boy. My niece has kept all of her sons clothes to hand down to my grandson - and even put the word out amongst all her friends - and they have been an incredible help.
I like to throw different spices in my coffee grounds before brewing the coffee...cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc. That way I can change up my coffee without buying more expensive seasonal coffees. (If you put the spices in the grounds before brewing instead of in your cup after brewing, the spices don't float on the top of your coffee.)
Awesome Idea.
Why didn't I think of that? Great idea.
Brilliant
When my daughter was 3, a mom with 4 girls gave me 8 garbage bags of clothes/shoes she had planned to donate. As a single mom, I was/am eternally grateful to her because I didn’t have to buy any clothing for my child for 4 years. The quality of clothing was better than I would have purchased with my limited income.
I have a church member do the same with my kids such a big help for sure.
Yes! I've always told my kids.... if you can't afford the tip, and i mean a generous one, then you can't afford to go and you tell your friends sorry, dude! 😂
I live in a state that doesn’t have a different minimum wage for tipped employees I don’t tip anymore. They make the same amount as me or more. I also work in customer service. I think companies should pay their employees a fair wage. It’s no longer my responsibility to supplement their income
Same thing in Canada. I still tip - but not 30%, which apparently is the average now! I tip about half that, depending on the service.
@@sdoncam5491I live in the uk and we do tip - but it’s not expected - although some restaurants do include service charge - do the employees actually get that money🤔? I think it’s unfair like you said to be expected to fork out a massive tip, when you take home the same wage. Also I will only tip if I get good service! That said, if I can afford it I try and be kind but 30% is absolutely bonkers! Did you know it’s considered rude to tip in Japan 😊.
Hang lines in the basement to use during winter. The heat from the furnace dries them in no time for free!
Hang a line on your back porch in the summer in Az. They are dry in 15-20 minutes.
I forgot to mention that I put the clothes on hangers and towels on drying racks. I do this all year long as I have severe allergies. I use a fan in the summmer also.
My parents had a cape cod style home with an unfinished upstairs, did have plywood flooring. She would hang laundry upstairs. We used to laugh at the frozen jeans that looked like they could runaway on their own.
Somehow a 5ft long black snake made its way into the attic, my mom found it. You probably could have heard her screams from miles away. Dad tried to catch and release, he was disappointed he when he couldn’t.
I have 5 clotheslines outside, we had 70° weather in Ohio on Monday. I hung out six loads of clothes. Most of them dried I just had a few that weren’t dry. I have a clothes rack that can hold two loads of clothes for the winter.I put it in my sewing room and turn my paddle fan on low. I have barely use my dryer only for small items. I also have a closet that I can use the plastic hangers and hang shirts and tank tops. We have Propane so it’s expensive to use. I love to hang my clothes outside my grandmother, mother and myself all used the clothes line.
When we vacation, we stay at our favorite, but low cost hotel on the river we love to fish. Free breakfast, and we cook a few feet from the river on our camp stove for dinner. We take walks into town to the fudge shop for a treat to last us on our trip. We unplug from real life, and have the best time ever! On the way home, we always hit up the local grocery stores and buy great deals, if they have any. 40 years together, we still enjoy being together, so these little trips are perfect for us ❤️😀👍
I sewed a dress for my daughter, when she outgrew it, I passed it along to some friends who had 3 little girls. Several years later I noticed a little girl from another family wearing it- the dress had gone through at least 5 little girls!
I LOVE this story. We had a sweater that made the rounds through all the cousins in the family. We all had a lot of boys who were spaced just far enough apart in age to pass the sweater down. I think it went through at least 6 boys. We speculated it must be made of iron. LOL!
My grandmother knitted a grey v neck jumper for my dad to wear for school back in the early 1950s. Our family was still using it 30 years later. It was passed down to his younger brother. My brother then had it. My grandma had photos of all three of them wearing the jumper. It was looked after and still looked like new, so my mum passed it on to my three cousins.
@@UndertheMedianTell Larry that the best season to dry clothes outside is in the winter. I live in Scandinavia. You wouldn't believe how nice it smells when it has been dried out in frost.
But don't dry clothes outside when it is pollen season and you have seasonal allergies ❤🇩🇰
I love this having four daughters. We adopted our first kids and then I gave their clothes away thinking I wouldn’t have any more. When our bio son was a surprise, my friend gave my son’s clothes back to me for this baby. I had such an emotional attachment to the clothes they wore the first year as they were adopted as older toddlers and life was hard. But I took great pride in dressing them cute and had fond memories of them in matching outfits (they also had a $40 a month per kid clothing stipend we had to use, so they were quality clothes).
❤
I used to attend a church in which many people with children would pass along the clothing their children grew out of to families with younger children. It was nice to see those people bless others and then also being blessed.
A frugal tip for coffee creamer I use sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and milk mix it up in a mason jar and you have your own coffee creamer.
How long will it keep in the fridge? What quantity for each ingredient? I want to try?
@@Meli_Mels for my family we drink a lot of coffee me and my husband it lasts for about 2 weeks and we just shake up the ingredients really well before putting it into our coffee. Coffee Creamer we live in VT and used to buy a huge bottle of it. It’s currently $8.19 in our home we use whole milk our youngest son turned 1 a month ago and that is the milk we use to make our coffee Creamer.
@@Meli_Mels oh and we use 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk we use the great value brand we also reuse an old jug of 32 ounces coffee creamer probably 3tsp of vanilla extract and then just fill the rest with milk and leave a bit if room to mix it
Probably could freeze 1/2 with no issues since you can freeze milk.
Here is a tip a dear friend of mine always does: she saves EVERY five dollar bill she receives and puts it aside. This is her vacation fund, and she said it adds up quickly. Really enjoyed this video. Question: how can a couple get cuter together as time goes on?! You two are fabulous in my book!
I used to do this with every $1 with an E or an L in the serial number. These are the first initial of family names and it added up quickly. Even people at work would swap me theirs. One person needed quarters and I’d swap quarters for her singles.
The only reason I don’t do it now is because I don’t come in contact with as much paper money. It’s ok, that’s what Ibotta and other rebate apps are for😀
I do the same. $ 5
The idea of putting a vacation on your charge card WITHOUT having the cash already saved to completely pay it off when you get home.. that would make my physically ill.
Same.
Actually charge anything without the money to pay for it immediately makes me shudder
I have a friend they travel more then rich people , they do not have money. Charge it all ... Dumb
Would be looking forward to the points on a credit card. Yahoo. But I would have the funds once I returned to pay it off.
My husband changes our cars front brakes for super cheap instead of having the car dealership do it. They just wanted $900 to do it but my husband only spent $400 buying the parts and changing them himself!!!! $500 saved!!!! Whoo hoo! He also offers to change them for other family members to save them money. He is getting older but says he will do it until he can’t any more. God bless him!!!
My best tip is if you always go over budget for groceries,even with inflation, maybe really look at what you buy.
Do you buy random crap?
Do you inventory?have a list that you stick to?
If it's a problem,and you budget,say,$100 per week,that is it.only carry $100 on you.
No debit cards,credit cards,gift cards,only $100.
Or shop online and do curbside pickup or have it delivered.
No temptation
I like to comparison shop. In store and online great value lentils 1lb are $1.34. Hurst lentils are $1 online through Walmart. Seems small but adds up to $17.68 a year.
My grocery store accepts $10 off $50 purchases from competitors. If I spend $100, I split the purchase into 2 orders to save 20% on everything. Combined with online store coupons, sales, manufacturers coupons and the loyalty purchase card I can sometimes save 50-60% off the sale price.
We don't consider "junk food" (alcohol, soda pop, chips, candy, energy drinks, ice cream) in our grocery budget. That's extra and we have to spend personal funds on this stuff if we want it.
(We are a household of 7 between the ages of 17 and 56.)
Whenever, we do a clear out/declutter, we always ask family around to take what they want usually for a week, no strings attached, before donating. My whole family did this.
I took a 2 liter bottle of store brand soda to work. To drink for 3 days. It was cheaper than 20 oz bottles.
@@Joce123I used to do that also. Much less expensive.
Thank you for your show. I am vegan and when I watch or comment on other channels they can get mean. They say that being a vegan is unhealthy or they are condescending. I appreciate you
My wife and I are vegetarians (we use some dairy products), and we have had people question our dietary choice. While we are careful to respond in a kind way, we know that most people are not very well educated in that area. We enjoy good health and have no problems in terms of our lab work values. I've seen studies that reveal that vegans tend to have the least medical problems of all. I am close to being a vegan now, and I believe it is the best way to eat.
This is true. The term 'vegan' really seems to be a trigger word for some people.
Fellow vegan here 😊
Been vegan for over 12 years. I don't let people bother me anymore 🤣
I practice being vegetarian, and my doctor told me that my diet is causing me to be defiecent in Vitamin D. I knew Vegetarians had to take a B12 supplement because B12 is only in meat. I am surprised about the lack of Vitamin D in a Vegetarian diet. I say practice cause I'm not there yet. I love seafood.
@@SageGypsy You get vitamin D from the sun.
I have a system I menu plan three months at a time. I make a corresponding shopping list, are corresponding gardening list, and a corresponding self-sufficiency list.
The shopping list contains all of the ingredients that are needed for all of the recipes, the gardening list is anything that is an ingredient that I can be putting into my garden bed, I try and grow as much as I can. The self-sufficiency shopping list is anything that is an ingredient that I can make so any type of sauces, breads jams, dehydrating any onions garlic to make all my own powders, make my own stocks.
Between a growing things preserving things and making things from scratch,I eliminate most of the things on my shopping list for my ingredients bringing my total down.
For the month of febuary I spent a total of $95
Lucky you! I love Kicking Horse coffee…especially Cliff Hanger Espresso and Grizzly Claw!
Our loft bedrooms become too hot when woodstove is on all winter. We built a drying rack on a small pulley in the top of the stairwell and dry our laundry. The heat gets trapped in the wet laundry and the loft is cool. 🇨🇦
Grizzly Claw is my favourite.
Loaning clothes or other things, especially to children - hahahaha. Don't do it. Give it to them, or keep it. My story, we were poor (no joke). When I was 4.5 years old, a neighbor "loaned" my mother a pair of cotton orange shorts for me. I loved them, I wore them everyday for the entire summer, 90 days. Then, the neighbor wanted them back. My mother was made to feel bad that I had worm them out. Wellllll, of course, I wore them out, they were the only thing I wanted to wear (and probably the only thing I had to wear - that's how it was back then). I remember this story, because I had to give the shorts back to the neighbor. I missed them. To me those shorts were not worn out, they were worn to "perfection."
I have always taken my own lunch to work, my own snacks and etc.. I like my home made food. I love pickles, olives, cheese, etc.. I've made my own mini lunchables, for years. Packed my own crackers, home made pepper jellies etc...I pack it all in seperate reusable containers. People see what I'm eating and are usually jealous of my home made goodies.
My husband and I always prefer a vacation rental because we can prepare many of our own meals and save a ton of money!
My mom used to buy a cheap deep frozen turkey at Christmas, cheap frozen ham at Easter and cheap whole roaster. She would thaw and cook the night before our 1 week beach vacation. We had cold ham, turkey and chicken sandwiches for lunches and hot turkey, ham and chicken for dinners. That way she didn’t have to cook. She also bought sale paper plates, plastic utensils and napkins to use. She said, “this way it’s my vacation too.” One night we got the best beach pizza for dinner, usually Wednesday to break up the week to avoid turkey, chicken, ham burnout, lol.
I have been going out for lunches with my friends I only drink water and no dessert. My meal is usually $8-$10 I too leave a generous tip. I also eat 1/2 meal and doggy bag the rest sometimes 1 or 2 more meals for me!
Gratitude ❤
Put the fun in frugal. Get the kids involved in dinner making. Set one night a week aside as Kids Create Dinner night. Challenge them with a money limit ( for example $3.00 per person) for the meal. Help them with guidance in ideas and guidance in cooking. Keep your expectations age appropriate. For extra encouragement let the child(ren) keep all, or a portion of any money they go under budget. Kids get a chance to learn frugal skills, cooking skills and to feel that they are an important part of the family.
Happy Leap Year
"Putting the fun in frugal", yeah I'm ready for that.
This is great. I also like the ideas prepped princess uses. She turns off her water heater throughout the day and turns on 30 minutes before use. Saves on electricity
I thought that's how they worked?? Do people keep them on the whole day??
Prepper Princess is a great frugal youtube channel.
@rithikamadhusha1708 nope, apparently most folks in the UK keep them on all day or have them on for a while in the morning or evening ( often because they are linked to the heating system)! I didn't but I am regarded as unusual!
Spring for an “ on demand “ water heater. They save lots of money and a lot of space ( a real big deal in my house).
Your restaurant “discount stacking” story is super inspiring!
And I 100% applaud Daniel for looking at a school he can commute to. I reluctantly followed that path out of high school, but am SO GLAD I DID! Now, I’ve been out of student loan debt for years, while I remember my fellow graduates who lived on campus automatically had up to $60k more in student loans, just for the privilege of living on campus!
Live as a minimalist. It really stops the spending. Have only what you need/use.
When you declutter try selling it first before giving it away.
Living as a minimalist is freeing.
I’m all for the rechargeable batteries. Back in the day I bought all sizes from Radio Shack (on clearance). I literally used those batteries for years while my kids were growing up. My husband is a Army Corps of Engineers employee, plus a former military soldier. We would plan our vacations near military bases, because we can use my husband’s work ID to stay on military bases in their hotels. They usually have kitchenettes in them, so we took food to fix in our room. We are also able to buy tickets to major theme parks etc…from the military travel office. We bought tickets to Lego Land in San Diego California. The boys had free tickets from their Lego Magazine. We decided to go on Thanksgiving that year. They gave each of us free tickets for the next day. Since we had already bought enough tickets my husband was able to sell the extra 4 tickets to his boss at work. We took our own water bottles that had a pouch that you wore like a cross body purse. You were allowed to leave the park and come back in, so one day we did lunch in the car. Another day we did it inside the park. We saved the durable plastic cups with lids, and my kids and their friends used those themed cups for years. We still have a few with the lids in the cabinet and my kids are now grown. We usually chose destinations that weren’t on everyone’s radar. We always had a lot of fun and didn’t have to fight the crowds. Going to Lego land on Thanksgiving back then was a wise choice, because we didn’t have to fight a crowd at all. And the highway and roads were eerily empty. It was great. Our hotel overlooked the water at the naval base. So it was fun to look out the window and see the ships in the dock. We drove twelve hours to get there. Our car was a cheap 4 cylinder. The trip was a blast and very inexpensive. We are a do it yourself kind of people. It’s fun to be frugal and learn new things. I love your channel, and I love a good smooth cup of coffee. It’s like sitting down with friends. God bless you for what you do.
My sister in law (civilian pentagon) and her husband (military) used to take beach vacations on military bases. Her favorite was where they could watch special forces training, both did but for different reasons. He was a Colonel (Pentagon) and she was a Deputy to the Sectary of Defense. Vacations abroad were rare as they tracked her movements (for recall and safety/security). Bases provided security and they were available for communication if needed. Perks to the job and restrictions.
@@Freaysclaw56 thankfully my husband isn’t tracked, so we can go anywhere. The perks are great. We can even shop at the PX and commissary. My husband can use the gym on base, etc. You can’t beat free. We do live near a military base.
@@sstephens2175 like minded people also.
I save a lot of money at the gas station. In our area, it costs 10¢ more per gallon if you use a debit or credit card so I always use cash (or gift card). Second, I get a rebate of 5-10¢ a gallon by using the stations app. Third, I put my monthly gas budget on the stations gift card. By using the gift card, I automatically save 10¢ a gallon. By implementing all 3, I save 25-30¢ per gallon!
Nice great job
I saved money on my electric bill with your tips but Then the power company raised their rates so I’m back to square one!!! Ugh!!!
Me too. And the water rates went up too.
We have a catholic recreation center in the town over from me. They have a gym, fitness room, plus other activities. They also have a walking track which is free. So I can go walk before work. Also when i was raising my kids there was a lady at church who when making dishes with ground meat would take out a tablespoon or two and put in a container when she had enough set aside she would make another meal with it. Her family never missed the less meat.
As a former server, THANK YOU for adding the tip comment! I tried to offer good service at all times. I didn't mind or care if people used gift cards. What did hurt was not being appropriately tipped on the total bill and service. There were those that didn't tip at all, used keep the change comment or just tipped on what they paid out of pocket when using a gift card. It sucked.
Also for gym discounts if your health insurance company has a wellness rider select gyms have free membership. You will have to provide your insurance card. Also, if a gym is not on the list you can ask for them to be added. Talk to your HR department. I work in HR and we have a wellness liaison with the insurance company. She says if there isn't a gym on the list let me know and we can work on it. There was only one gym that flat out refuses to take part in the program and she told us...I won't say here lol. Have a great week and get well!
I live alone n I save electricity by a couple of different ways. 1- wash clothes once a month. 2-unplugging appliances when not in use, I even unplug my washer n dryer. 3-set thermostat up a degree or 2 in the summer with the use of ur ceiling fans. 79-80 feels no different than 77-78 when u are circulating the air around you. 4-Know ur electric companies peak n off peak times it will save u money.
We love Red Lobster and downloaded the app for their rewards program. We quickly reached 300 points which put us into the top tier category to get the extra discounts etc. They also do the bonus gift cards you're talking about-- buy a $100 gift card and get a $20 bonus card. We save both for ourselves plus only go on Tuesdays so each meal counts as 3x points which gets us MORE free appetizers, $5 drink credits, free desserts. We combine that with the all-you-can-eat shrimp specials, and we can have a really nice date night for less than $60 (including tip!!) Also, we never order alcohol at restaurants and usually just get water so we're not paying for drinks either (unless we have a drink credit for a mock-tail).
Hand, me downs, rock! No strings attached, that’s the way we work!!
My dad had a workshop. All of his tools were bought used or on deep sale for birthday, Father’s Day or Christmas. Later when he had every tool imaginable, he switched to TVs, Bose radio/CD player, etc. Our family gave combined holiday and groups gifts for large gifts.
My Grandmother never had a dryer but had 5 lines in the basement with a box fan to move the air and 3 lines outside for good weather.
My parents tend to wash thwir clothes after coming back from work. It means it don't have time to dry before tbe night fall. (I will argue it haves time 9 months on 12). So they always use our loudly dryer.
But I'm trying to push them using the programming function to match the end of the cycle to when they wake up.
So my today tip: Use your timing function on your washing machine. Match it with your waking hour. Don't have to wait for hanging them, it's alreafy waiting for you. Retrive those after coming back from work. Bonus points: you don't have to ear the washing machine or use your day off to wash.
My husband and I finally felt "financially" able to put in a gas stove. The thermostat went out in our electric stove. It was going to cost 150.00 for the part. I just couldn't pay that. So we just used our air fryer for baking. So fast-forward a few months, taxes done, we were surprised about the amount. 😅... So we started talking about gas stoves. I allowed 1500 dollars to make the switch. Local company gave me an estimate of 1000.00 to install gas line, tank, fill tank, add conversion kit to stove and install stove. The best part is by using the discount outlet of Lowes Hardware we bought a KitchenAid 5 burner gas stove for 400.31 cents. Original cost was 1500.00.
YES on giving things. I say the same thing , if you give it to me you give it to me.
My mother in law always wanted to give us things BUT she expected us to keep it (whatever she gave us) So I ended up telling her that if she wanted it then keep it , but don't give us something you no longer want and expect us to keep it.
And when I give something I telling the person it is yours do whatever you want with it!!
Yes we are a hand me down family.
I do the same with bins. Also buy kids clothes at end of season sales for the next year. Long pants can be cut off at the knee to create summer shorts for play. Many long sleeve tshirt type shirts can also be cut to shorter sleeves for summer. For girls clothes a lace ruffle can be added to the bottom hem of dresses or pants to help them last longer as kids grow. Of course, find a neighbor that has a bunch of kids younger than yours to pass clothes on to.
I'm totally here for going to the movies in the morning! Boo to the evening crowds!
I prefer movie theater in the morning, too. Fewer crowds, I'm not tempted by smell of popcorn and often I can bring my mug of coffee or tea and nobody cares.
I use gift cards for occasional restaurants meals too. We also tend to go out for lunch instead of dinner. Usually lower prices. I totally agree about tipping well. Never cheap out on the tip!
I love hand me downs.
The way we save for vacations and Christmas each year is to have a certain amount of money automatically removed from our checking account every Friday and sent to a separate account. For the first half of the year, that is the sinking fund for our vacation in June. For the second half of the year, it is the sinking fund for Christmas. It’s so nice every year having money available to vacation and get through the holidays debt-free! Some years it might be less available than others, and we will do a more frugal vacation like a campground or a day at an amusement park in driving distance, or have a smaller Christmas budget (but at least there is always a budget for both). Some years allow for more to be invested and we can travel further. This year we have already been able to book an Air BnB in the mountains and will be going to Tennessee. Last year we visited Canada. Budgeting this way has been a real game-changer in allowing us to be able to travel more with our large family and avoid debt while doing it.
Just love your tips and so enjoying watching you two. We just redid our master bathroom ourselves- flooring, shower, vanities, toilet, subflooring underneath it, paint, mirror- the whole thing- for 6,000. What spurred us on was the quote we got for the SHOWER ALONE- 20,000!!!! Although my husband had no skills in this area when we met, he has learned on his own to do things himself. With UA-cam, you can find almost any DIY project you are dealing with. This worked out so well that we did our kids bathroom about 6 months later. Whenever possible- do it yourself! You’d be surprised how many projects are actually very easy or moderately easy to do!!!!😊
Hi, i am from Ukraine. I like to watch you channel. I learn a lot of useful information about saving 💛💙
We are actually enjoying watching the usages on our app for our electric coop on my phone as we use our oil radiator heaters in the evening as we watch tv rather than running the furnace and heating rooms were not in.
Having the attic insulation beefed up to 38R has really helped too. 8:30
Just got our electric bill from January-February 18 for $120.00
39% lower than same period last year.
All thanks to having an energy audit and following thru with the repair suggestions ie adding insulation up to R.38 value(14”),have holes sealed up in ductwork etc 11:23
I had 2 Boys and always kept the clothes from the oldest for younger son. Never shoes! Except dress shoes that were hardly ever worn.
Youre right! We rarely go out to eat, but we make sure its at the place we know is good and clean. Best tip ever!
Definitely a hand-me-down family!
I love all your tips !! I am a homebody ….. I really hate shopping & even more now. I only buy what I can eat in 2 weeks. I eat very little as the older I get. Prices scary me so much these days since single person. Don’t eat out can’t afford it .
When eating out just drink water and do not order dessert. The soda drinks can really add up fast and the desserts are very expensive.
Dave Ramsey idea is to do a Staycation. I suggested this to my husband as we are working on one credit card debt. When there are no kids at home on a particular weekend, make the dining room more elegant and enjoy a romantic dinner at home and the next day go on a local adventure. We usually go hiking on our mini vacation and there are plenty of beautiful hikes near by. Thank you for your great videos.
We had hand me downs from family and friends and did the same for them.
Whenever the service department says I need windshield wipers, I usually buy them and replace them myself. I also intend to do my own car wash. With a car payment and higher insurance, finding ways to save a few dollars is critical.
I love ❤ free community clothing closets!!!!
Same
Woohoo 🇨🇦🇨🇦 coffee! 😁😁
Better than Tim Horton lol😅
Hydro in Canada means electricity. We had a lot of electric dams that made electricity back in the day. The company that sold the electricity was Ontario Hydro, then Hydro One. That’s why many Canadians say hydro, when they really mean electricity. Nice coffee! They are not too far from where I live.
Yep, and in Québec (also in Canada, east of Ontario) it's Hydro-Québec. It's also full of dams. Even those rare cities who have their own dams use hydro in their name.
Use a portion of your grocery budget ( for me its 20%) to purchase indulgences. It makes the beans and oats not so noticable. For this week I indulged on coconut yoghurt, soy vanilla ice cream and humungus raspberries. They make our fruit salad and pancakes super fancy. Still in budget and everyone is happy. No need to eat out.
I kept a tight budget, but once a week had something special that was on sale. A dessert, shrimp, snack that was on sale and I could use a coupon. It made all the difference.
We are In the elementary/ middle school years with 4 kids 21 meals a week .. it was overwhelming and so I decided to make some systems…. Now plan to cook full meals 4 times a week . The rest of the meals are leftovers / pantry meals or super simple cooking like macaroni and leftover meat. With that I budget 1-2 meals a week as at home takeout - Chicken nuggets and fries - or frozen Indian or chinese food. These easy buttons make it less a chore to feed everyone. And I am not tempted to order in
@@Freaysclaw56 it does make a difference!
@@mandyholly6947 good on you.
@@mandyholly6947 we did something like that with Chili Week, a family favorite. Monday, chili with corn bread and fixings. Wednesday, chili with macaroni and cheese. Friday, chili dogs and French fries. Another poster mentioned chili over potatoes or rice. So definitely other options. My husband and 6yr loved hot food so hot, spicy chili for them. My meal plan worked like that, also.
Another favorite was biscuits rolled out in circles and add pizza toppings, they loved the hands on aspect. They rolled the biscuit as thin or deep slice as they wanted. Usually on Fridays. When on sale with a coupon the pizza was very cheap.
I live in Canada as well. Kicking Horse coffee is the best of the best. Very good content, as always. Thank you.❤
Grizzly Claw is best, Buy on sale.
I also live in Texas. During the summer, my husband, myself, and the dog get up early and walk in our neighborhood before the sun comes up. In our household, we have hammy downs (older to younger) and hammy ups (younger to older). As for snacks, we never leave home without a reusable water bottle and a snack, which usually contains cut-up fruits and veggies. Another tip for travel is to check the prices of extended stay hotels. We have found some with cheaper prices and they come with a full kitchen. We haven't really needed the oven, but did use the stove top. The full size refrigerator is wonderful especially since I am vegan.
"Hammy-Downs" is hilarious!!! We call those hand-me-downs. Your term is adorable.
@Meli_Mels Thank you! When my children were younger, they came up with the names.
The hand me ups reminds me of a friend whose daughter would take her baby sister’s clothes for her baby dolls and her 18” American girl size doll. Great use for those baby clothes after the baby is done with them. Hammy ups.
By. Using your tips my gas bill is only $50.00 a month. It used to be $150.00 a month. Good savings for someone who lives in Kansas. Thanks for sharing.
Love 💕 and Hugs. 💙💙💙
My husband's birthday is in December. We always do the GC promo for wherever he wants to go to get an extra 10-20% in bonus cards.
Hi Larry and Hope .....I'm in Illinois, I share AMEREN and I followed your energy tips.
This is April of 2024 and my monthly bill came down 30.00 dollars. I was at 280.00 and it's down to 250.00.
Amazing!
Hope, Larry,hit dollar general.
They have Dunkin coffee, bagged,for $7 per bag.
New flavors are
Cinnamon
Turtle love
Caramel
Candied almond
And the regular flavors,
Midnight
Columbian
Hazelnut
Vanilla
We have turtle love and it is good
I believe they kindly get sent coffee regularly, so they may not need to ever buy any 🎉
If they ever do, or if anybody needs it, if you shop Dollar general on a Saturday and have their app on your phone, you can use the $5 off coupon if you spend $25!
@@jessicaameswhich makes it only $5.60
This coffee was sent by a kind viewer because I badly broke my arm. It was a gift.
@@jessicaames 👏🏽 wow! Thanks!
I cannot hang my laundry on the line outside. I'm a bad asthmatic and can't tolerate clothes dried outside. I also cannot tolerate powder cleanser. My mom cleaned the kitchen sink one time when I wad at school, but the minute I can into the kitchen my asthma started. I backed up and went into the bedroom, she had to open the backdoor and turn the cooler on.
I have severe asthma,too.
Hang laundry inside, direct fan (turned on high) at laundry. It will dry pretty quickly and be soft and fairly wrinkle free
I also have asthma and use indoor lines only…for the past 20 years…sometimes a fan…mostly not
Love your coffee times, love you guys and love the channel ❤ xx
I’m from Canada also I’m learning so much thanks so much ❤❤
I wanted to comment on the tip from the viewer talking about getting rid of your dryer. It can be mostly done. (I dry dress clothes and an occasional last minute load in the dryer.) We are blessed to have portable racks set up in our spare bedroom to hang clothes on. The big one will hold a set of queen size sheets & then 2 of the normal type for smaller items. Our house is on a big hill in town and there’s no place to put a clothes line. I can take the racks down if I want to take them outside on the deck or if we have guests staying in that room.
We have an Amish family that put in a pulley type clothesline, one on a pole (maybe tree)up the hill, and the other side comes down to the porch, she hangs a lot of clothes on it daily.
I cook wheat noodles and use chunky salsa for flavor it's delicious 😋
I work for a college. Employee gets a discount for on campus gym. We're restricted to off peak hours since its primarily for students, but the price is worth it. Bonus for me is that i can exercise during the workday.
I buy a few gallons of water a year. Then, I take the empty gallon bottles and fill them at the filtered water station at work. If the bottles get dirty, or they get a hole, I throw them away. However, they usually last about a year.
I started eating very low carbs 3 yrs ago. I don’t buy manufactured processed foods. I eat meat, low carbs veggies, minimal dairy, no eggs (allergic). I buy meats in large or family pkg and divide it up at home, vacuum pack n freeze. Buy meats on sale and look for discounted items because “sale by date” is in 1-2 days. Since I buy no junk foods, soda, bakery, etc my grocery bill is about the same as when I ate the standard American diet. And I’ve lost 100 lbs!! I found boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 days ago for 1.98/lb because of date. Chopped it all up n cooked it, vacuum sealed. Can’t beat that!!
I need a Larry. ❤
The first tip about the movie theater made me wonder, if you have a Costco membership, they often have packs of gift cards for entertainment and restraunt venues, like $100 in gift cards for $80. They may have specific movie theaters like cinimark that can save even more. My theater was advertising a membership that was all you can watch and the price was less than 2 full price tickets per person- so if you are someone who watches all the new movies or wants to be, that also might be a good way to save per view.
My theater offers 1/2 price gift cards every Black Friday with free 6 free popcorns 🍿 for January-March. Our local swim park offers yearly memberships 1/2 price on Black Friday. Makes it doable. Neither deal is advertised, lol.
Hello from Australia. I do most of these things.
I use Kicking Horse coffee. I like the Three Sisters version best. 🇨🇦 Greetings from Vancouver Island.
Kent State in Ohio and in some places abroad, has courses online and scholarships by the trustees for those coming in with good grades. Their tuition prices are much better too.
My work gives out free snacks and coffee and they bring in donuts weekly for free from dunkin or Krispy Kreme for us
That's awesome! I'm equally jealous and relieved, because I have ZERO willpower to resist free donuts.
We have free tea/coffee/cocoa, hand fruit and small snacks, like granola bars as well. On the days I'm actually in the office, I just pick up my breakfast there, for free.
Hope and Larry. Some great tips! Are James and Hannah going to tell us how they planned their frugal wedding?
You are my favourite you tubers! Greetings from Europe!😘😘😘
At the start of the monthly I put a set amount in a different bank account for vacations. I do this every month even if we don’t have a vacation planned. This is then our budget for vacations. And worst case scenario I can transfer the money back and use if needed.
I have learned so much from watching your videos, better budgeting skills as well as about sinking funds, and emergency funds, so much to help me save for both expected and unexpected expenses. 😊
Be sure on car repairs call different repair shops and get a 30 day quote, (some will e-mail to you) I did this and within 30 minutes away from each other there was a 800.00 difference both were quality dealerships,pays to look around
Great video!! So glad both of you are doing better! We started tracking our expenses in Jan 2024. Both months we have had several hundred dollars left that has went into our vacation fund. Been using out of pantry, fridge and freezer more and really saved on groceries. Have funds saved for brakes and rotors as well. Trying to keep adding to savings instead of reducing them.😂
In our city, anyone 50+ can use the senior center.
We dont use a tumble clothes dryer. Heated drying racks are super popular in the UK. We have always used two dehumidifiers in our homes. They keep us toasty warm and the hung up laundry dries very quickly.
Cooking when the hydro is the lowest rate = when the ELECTRICITY is at the lowest rate. In Canada (and likely elsewhere) our electricity is generated with running water, ie hydro-electricity dams. A good example is Niagara Falls provides a lot of hydro-electricity. So when we say "hydro" we don't mean water, we mean "electricity"
We don't spend $5 bills or less. For example if we "need" a pack of gum it will cost $10 and then the bills and change go into the savings jar or we rethink how important that gum is.😅
Great tips! Thank you for the sharing!
I have a couple of towel racks and one collapsible clothes drying rack so I almost never use the drier. I use hangers for shirts and hang them off of the racks. I even do sheets and towels on these racks I just have to pace the laundry to fit the racks. I hang socks over the edge of a laundry basket and I use one of those wooden pants hangers with the bar that hooks in place to hang my undies. To make things dry a little faster I always run the last minute of the spin cycle on the washer a second time to get a little more water out of the washer before I take out my clothes. It works great! The only things I hang outside are my throw rugs which I toss over the rail of my back porch.
I just love this channel
In the UK you get freebies for your birthday if you sign up to various places. Love birthdays! Also our cinemas allow you to bring your own food & drink into the cinema :)
Thank you for this video ❤😌!! You are a blessing in my debt free journey 😊
We have done some gifting with the priviso that if it doesn't work, feel free to give it back. This can work to better enable "divesting" yourself of "stuff" that is questionable. We have also gifted stuff with the privso that we get first dibs if the recipient decides to get rid of the item later on. Then we dont stress it if it doesnt come to be; but we do take note before the next gifting. One item gifted like this was a small rototiller that came and went from our garage more than once; that rototiller became more like a lending library item until it finially gave up the ghost. Often clothing, furniture, and home decor items have been easier and quicker to pass on if we agreed to take back what didnt work; usually within a week to a month. Either which way, we realize it wasnt new when gifted and further use isnt going to make it more pristine.
Kicking Horse coffee is amazing!!!
My sister in law's mother always hung out her clothes on the clothes line for about 30 or 1hour to dry and then threw the clothes in the dryer for about 10 minutes in the dryer to fluff and take out the stiffness.